The Patronus: Part one
by Obnoxiously Overcooked
Summary: -Spoiler- George, as we all know loses his brother in the tower. But what happens afterwards? How do you keep fighting when everything you lived for seems to have disappeared in a heartbeat? completed, I think, p2 coming up asap!
1. Chapter one: Simple Mortality

I was wondering whether this would be classed as T or M? What do you think?. First fanfic, so please R&R and enjoy (:

-I'm creating a playlist with the music I see fit for the story. For more info, check chapter 2 (: -

**...  
Nicholas Hooper** (Harry potter and the half-blood prince)** - Inferii in the firestorm** (I know that's the most uncreative thing I could have put in there, but I think it fits.)

**Howard Shore** (The lord of the rings[the complete recordings]) - **The Eagles ft. Renée Fleming** (don't really know why, but it's beautiful anyway)

...

**-I do not own this or anything in it. Some quotations from the seventh book are included, I do not claim credit for any of those either.-**

"Watch it!" George Weasley cast a stunning spell over his twin brother's shoulder, hitting the masked death eater straight in the torso, flinging him backwards like a glove. Another spell passed by his right ear, or rather what used to be his right ear and hit another enemy right between the eyes. "Mind the hole, will you?" He said grinning to his older brother Percy as he sent off several spells towards the hoard of death eaters.

"That's old stuff, George. You've already..-" Fred turned to face three aggressive opponents; "Depulso!" They vanished into thin air. George suspected not even Fred knew where they were sent to, "the whole holey-thing just doesn't cut it anymore. You have to keep it fresh!" His twin brother snickered, battling off two more death eaters as he did.

Behind them, George could suddenly spot Harry, Hermione and Ron. _Ah_, he thought, _the more the better._ The trio joined them and bit by bit they fought off the death eaters, sending them flying or petrifying them or turning them into solid rock. "Screw the rest of the order, we know this shit! Furnunculus! Everte statum!" The screaming death eater was thrown backwards and left writhing in pain on the floor from the huge boils which were spontaneously growing all over the man's body. "That's-" He was cut short, and George knew why because he too could feel the change that had suddenly come over the corridor. Unease, fright and unhappiness seemed to settle itself like a cloak over their heads and it quickly grew extremely cold.

"No, not now.." He heard Harry whisper behind him and Hermione put a hand over her mouth to cover a tiny gasp.

"It's not..?" Even Fred seemed to lack words for the beings that mercilessly was gliding towards them.

"..Dementors." George finished. They weren't within sight yet but they all knew that this could be nothing else. Harry raised his wand, as did Hermione and Ron. It grew colder and colder and a strong feeling of nauseating fright and depression filled every pore of George's body. They had no chance, you-know-who would be victorious and they would all be brutally slaughtered for resisting his uprise to power. He tried to remain focused and not give in to the spell, eyes fixed at the corner of the corridor to spot the dementor before it spotted them.

There was not one dementor gliding towards them silent as death itself. There were at least twenty dark figures floating through the air, their long black cloaks swaying about them as they approached mercilessly. All sense of happiness left George and he was standing alone on top of a mountain, surrounded by his family lying slaughtered and molested on the ground. There was his mother with a dagger through her heart, his father, barely recognizable now that the snake had finished what it started two years ago in the department of mysteries, Ron, Ginny, even Fred lay dead, his face torn and his clothes covered in pulsating blood... He shook his head violently, determined not to let the magic cloud his mind. Beside him stood his brother well alive although a lot paler than usual and staring aghast at the creatures who were closing in.

Hermione's patronus, a silver otter appeared first of all to defend the party, closely followed by Ron's terrier. George looked in surprise at his brother and Hermione, then spotted their joined hands and tightly entwined fingers and smirked faintly. Harry's silver stag joined the two already present and the three fought bravely. But it wasn't enough. The patronuses were slowly falling back, allowing the dementors to advance even further.

"I think it may be our turn now!" Fred's voice seemed to come from a distance but it gave some strength back to George, who raised his wand along with his twin brother.

"After you, my brother." They had never been able to produce full-sized patronuses before but even though they might just create puffs of smoke, it would be better than nothing. George tried his best to conjure a happy memory to mind. Immediately the twin's shop, Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes appeared vividly in front of him. Fred standing by the puking pastilles, handing out free samples to an unsuspecting group of first-years. George grinned and suddenly, the dementors did not seem as big a threat as before. He peered at his brother and realized almost instantly that he was imagining the same thing as he was. Together they bellowed;

"Expecto Patronum!" From the tip of his wand burst suddenly a tiny, fox-like creature with enormous ears. From Fred's sprang a larger creature more resembling a tiny wolf. George's fennec fox and Fred's mighty coyote ran furiously at the dementors who fell back quickly and did not try to attack again. They cheered in delight as the patronuses faded into nothing, all except Fred's and George's, who seemed reluctant to disappear now that they finally had been conjured. The coyote leaped around the room, peering at the friends with mischief in its pure blue eyes. Suddenly it charged at the fennec who lunged itself at the coyote in a playful fight and they both exploded in an enormous cloud of silvery smoke.

"Mine's clearly more awesome than yours." Was the first thing Fred managed to say, crossing his arms in determination.

"My fox is the bomb. Your beast will scare the ladies off." Said George in what could have been a sophisticated tone of voice.

"Mine's bigger and stronger. It could snap the legs off your poor cat in a heartbeat."

"Size doesn't matter, dearest brother, as I'm sure you'd know all about..-"

"Duck!" shouted Ron. They all reacted by instinct and the killing curse hit a painting behind them. Ron sent off a stunning spell, knocking a death eater to the ground and revealing none other than the minister himself approaching with a vicious smile on his lips, surrounded by a band of heavy body guards.

"Hello, minister!" Percy exclaimed and sent a curse straight at Thicknesse. It hit him in the chest and he fell to the ground, clawing at an invisible object which seemed to hold him down heavily and preventing him from speaking or even breathing at all. "Did I mention I'm resigning?"

"You're joking, Perce!" bellowed Fred with delight as he and George shot spells of their own making at the body guards, causing them to lose arms, legs, start vomiting or have flowers grow like hair on their heads, the roots corrupting their minds and rendering them unconscious if not worse. "You actually are joking, Perce... I don't think I've heard you joke since you were-"

The world suddenly exploded into bits of rock, dust and pain as the wall in front collapsed by the force of an extremely powerful spell. The death eaters they had been duelling disappeared underneath the massive heap of rubble and a scream, possibly Hermione's filled the corridor. George was in the middle of it all and flung his arms over his head. He managed to avoid the largest bricks except for a minor few bruising his arms.

Silence settled. A pressured silence in which none knew what to do or what really had happened. Faintly the sound of duelling wizards could be heard but other than that there was nothing.

_'Fred.'_ The thought, the silent call came to George from nowhere. It struck him as odd that he did not get a reply, although he knew that his brother obviously could not hear it. Still, something seemed to have changed. Unease, almost panic spread in his body and he did not know why. _'Fred.'_ The thought was a command now, not a call. He raised his head and looked up, into the eyes of Harry, Hermione and Ron. Percy groaned, stirring slightly on the floor. George looked around for his brother. In chock his stomach cringed when he realized he was nowhere to be found.

"Fred." He spoke the thought that nagged him, calling for his brother. The others froze when they realized what he was doing. George turned and stood up. "Fred?" He gasped, then choked as his stomach seemed to turn inside out. Among the rubble of rock, death eaters and brick there was a discernible bulge, as though something had been completely covered by the remains of the wall. "F-Fred..." George dropped to his knees, ignoring the searing pain from the gravel piercing the skin and probably fracturing his kneecap. Now he could feel what was wrong. He felt empty, as though something was missing, something that had always been there. Panic rising he furiously dug at the stones at one end of the human-shaped bulge. The red hair gave the person away before George had even managed to brush the dust off his brother's lacerated face, Fred's last smile, though contorted still lingering on his lips.

**"No! Fred!"**


	2. Chapter two: The Loss Of Yourself

**-Thanks for the reviews! This is the second chapter. I like it, though maybe I went a bit over the top... Anyway, R&R as always! **

**Oh, and I'll publish a playlist with music I see fit for the specific chapter (: All are available on Spotify, most on youtube.**

**There is also a playlist on Sfy that I keep up to date. PM me if you figure something is missing (: .com/user/strawberrycan/playlist/5eRclupG3i5EEykU2Vub7W-**

**...  
Alexandre Desplat **(Afterwards) **- The swan's song (haven't seen the movie but it was to this tune that I first came up with the story.. So sad and beautiful)**

**Allan Edwall **(Allans allra bästa) **- Jämtlänsk Vaggvisa (Such a beautiful, old Swedish tune with one of Sweden's best musicians and actors)**

**Esbjörn Hazelius **(Blunda Och Du Skall Få Se) **- Spelman (Swedish song that has really nothing to do with the story, but I love the song and thought it went quite well with the kind of melancholic but 'brave' feeling of the chapter and especially the middle part)**

**...**

**Chapter two - ****Facing the loss of yourself**

George fell backwards and there seemed to be no floor to stop him from falling into nothingness, as the world had seized to exist. The body could not be his brother, the second half of the circle that was them. He fell, fell through time and space and there was nothing for him to grasp, nothing to save him from plummeting into a vast universe of pain and numbness.

With a strength that was almost supernatural he threw himself at the remaining boulders which still lay on Fred's body. "No, no.." His brother, the trickster, the one with the clever lines, with the cruel but always loving humour, his other half. Fred could not be dead, it just didn't work that way. _Fred, my Fred please just wake up. Wake up! You can't leave me here alone, I need you. You're as big a part of me as I am myself. God Fred, wake up!_ He brought his brother into his own arms, crying if not for the fact that he had forgotten how to weep. He could feel it now, the hole that was missing, the part of his heart that had been ripped from him as soon as the spell had hit that wall. Who now would put into action what George was thinking, finishing his every sentence and thought? The bond between them had not seized to exist but suddenly there was no one at the other end.

He heard someone else speak, or perhaps it was a scream or even a cry, it was all the same to him. Arms were wrapped around him and two blurry, red haired figures sat beside him. Maybe they tried to comfort him but he could not hear what they said. In his world was only him and Fred, the latter slowly fading away, growing transparent as a world he would never have been able to imagine, one where Fred did not exist was becoming more opaque by the second.

He tried to say something, tried to voice his thoughts but his lungs were empty. Maybe he had screamed the air out of them or maybe he simply could not breathe without the huge chunk of heart that had been torn from him; he did not know, did not care for it did not matter. Fred was gone and there was nothing he could do about it. Fred. Gone to the one place George could not follow. He had for a second hoped that his brother would open his eyes, alive and well, that it would be nothing but a horrible, twisted joke. That would very much be something Fred could have done. But he could not have faked the empty gaze in his eyes as he stared without seeing into the ceiling, nor the deep wounds and blood stains that covered his broken body. George felt sick and wanted to turn away his gaze but he did not, could not move.

"Fred you idiot.." He wasn't sure if he spoke it out loud or just thought it, "How could you do that? Mum's going to be devastated, and it's your fault.." It almost felt good to blame Fred for something, to be angry at him for leaving George's side. "How could you ever do this to me? You've ruined the shop, you've ruined everything!" He could not muster up enough strength to raise his voice but rather whispered into thin air. But he could not be angry, he was not sad, he was simply nothing.

The arms that was wrapped around him suddenly started to pull him away from Fred but he refused to let go, refused to accept the fact that the world still existed. The arms gave up and instead he could hear, faintly as though from another world, the sounds of spells being cast and a cruel laugh piercing the air. Fred looked up, his eyes doing their best to try and focus on the enemies that suddenly had appeared.

"A Weasley?" The cold voice could not have belonged to anyone other than Bellatrix Lestrange. She laughed a cold, high pitched laugh which sent shivers down George's spine. Around her the death eaters fell to the force of the spells being cast at them but somehow Bellatrix managed to avoid every single one, occasionally waving her wand to fend off one or another. She looked from the corpse to George and a look of amusement hit her when she realized they were twins. Her lips twitched into a malicious smile as George scowled at her in disgust, "Mummy's gonna be sad now isn't she? But you know I think it's just for the best, I mean she's got a copy, she probably won't even know which one of you has died!" She laughed again, raising her wand to send George in the same direction his brother had gone. George growled furiously and shot upright, his mind going completely blank as he pulled out his own wand faster than anyone could react. His wand began almost to move at its own accord and the spells came to his lips without effort. Bellatrix's smile faltered and was replaced by an irritated crease on her brow as she began to counter his curses. George's whole body ached with grief and anger but his arm was steady. Spell upon spell shot out of the 15'' willow wand, some of which George did not even know he knew. He duelled alone for even though most of the death eaters had fallen like flies, there were still enough of them standing to give the others a handful.

"Defodio!" He bellowed and slashed the wand through the air. Bellatrix winced, a deep cut appearing from her right eyebrow, over her nose and down to her pale cheek. She did not lose focus though and before George could utter another word she screamed;

"Crucio!" Pain seared through George's body and he fell to the ground, clawing at his throat which seemed to have clogged up and now prevented him from screaming or voicing spells. For a moment Fred disappeared from George's mind and he was all alone, excruciating pain searing through every pore of his being. "Do not even _think_ you can outmatch me, you filthy blood-traitor!" She hissed. Her lips curved up again into that insane smirk only she could manage, distorted even more than usual due to the blood trickling down her face from the gash. Then she laughed again, "And now you join your brother! I'm sure your mummy won't mind, I mean so far she's still got plenty of kids to go around, sure she won't even miss..-"

"Stupefy!" The force of four spells of the same kind sent Bellatrix flying backwards and hit a wall. Part of the pain that pierced George's body, the pain from the Cruciatus curse faded away. Bellatrix moved slowly, then stood up and ran off with another laugh before they had time to curse her again. George stood up again on legs that barely held him upright and slowly made his way to Fred's side again, determined to stay with him until the battle was over. The others spoke to him but he still could not understand what they said, it all blurred together and he was tired, so very tired.

".. George, listen to me! We have to move him.."

".. We can't leave George here, he'll be killed!.."

".. George, can you hear me?" The mass of words began to form sentences and he looked up and into Ron's blue eyes which were filled with grief he tried his best to hide. "We have to move F-Fred. Either you'll help us or not, we have get him out of here somehow." George nodded diffusely and together with Percy he carried Fred away from the rubble. Harry tugged at the others' arms, reminding them of the mission they were on, and after speaking a few words to Percy and George – who barely understood what they were saying at all – before they headed off.

They were both silent, though Percy did not even try to hide the tears that were trickling down his cheeks as they carefully headed down the corridor.

They carried Fred to a secluded space behind a statue and placed his body there, securely hidden from evil eyes. George wanted to give in to his trembling knees, wanted to fall to the floor and never get up again and forever lie there with his brother by his side. He knew deep down that he had to keep fighting or he would suffer the same fate but it felt so cruel to just... leave Fred lying there on the cold stone floor. Fred needed him even now, and so of course he should stay and guard him. George began pacing towards his brother but a soft hand on his shoulder made him spin around to face Percy.

"I have to.." began George in a thin voice which immediately faded to nothing. Percy shook his head;

"We have to help. They need us out there." He pointed diffusely towards what he thought would be the centre of the castle. George nodded faintly, he knew what they had to do and with an effort greater than anything he could ever have imagined, he turned his back on Fred Weasley and together with Percy headed towards The Great Hall where they heard battle raging furiously.


	3. Chapter three: Mum

**-Third Chapter, please do rate and review, takes no more than a minute (:-**

**... ... ... ... ...**

**James Horner** (AVATAR music from the motion picture) **- Shutting Down Grace's Lab  
Javier Navarrete **(Pan's Labyrinth)** - Long, Long Time Ago  
Ludovico Einaudi -** (Divenire) **- Divenire**

**Chapter 3: Facing Mum**

Although it took every ounce of George's concentration to not just collapse into a heap on the floor he managed to conjure enough spells to keep himself standing. The spark that had overcome him when duelling Bellatrix was long gone and now he fought only to protect others from harm. He no longer cared for his own life. Constantly Fred's smiling face flashed before his eyes and every time his stomach jolted painfully and his heart skipped a beat. He had not seen a trace of the rest of his family except for Ginny who had rushed by along with Luna and he had not had the heart or the time to tell her what had happened.

Suddenly a high, cold voice could be heard throughout the castle. It pierced George's head and he could not shut it out no matter how hard he tried. **"_You have fought valiantly._"** George's whole being shook with hatred at the mere voice of Voldemort, without whom Fred would still be alive. How could he even think that he could console anyone with that forked, cursed tongue of his? **"_Lord Voldemort knows how to value bravery_."** If there had been something else of Voldemort present, something more substantial than just a voice in his head, he would have spat at it. **"_Yet you have sustained heavy losses,_"** George could suddenly spot his mother looking equally outraged and worried and the worst feeling since he had left his brother spread through his body when he realized he would soon have to face her with the news. **_"If you continue to resist me you will all die, one by one. I do not wish this to happen."_**

"Don't listen to that wretched snake! He's got a mouthful of shit down his-" Neville's voice pierced the air in the pause but he was silenced by a curse from a death eater.

**"_Every drop of magical blood spilled is a loss and a waste._"**  
_You should have thought of that before you murdered my brother. _George wanted to scream it out loud, to break the heavy silence and ease his pain but he couldn't let his family find out that way.

**"_Lord Voldemort is merciful. I command my forces to retreat, immediately._"** With extremely disappointed faces he saw Bellatrix and the other death eaters pulling back, their wands raised apprehensively. Neville gasped not far away when the curse lifted. **"_You have one hour. Dispose of your dead with dignity. Treat your injured._"**

George was surprised to feel angry with this. He wanted nothing more than to return to his brother and to sit by his side until the end of time, but the hour also meant that he would have time to tell his family what had happened, to face their reactions. Right now he was fighting mindlessly, he did not have to think about anything other than his opponent's next move. This was much worse than even fighting Bellatrix had been.

Percy was at his side first of all. He once again put a hand on George's shoulder, to support him because he knew that George had to be the one to tell them.

Molly threw herself into George's arms as soon as he was within reach, already clutching Ginny by her other side. "George, my George," she sobbed, "I was so worried for you." Percy stood awkwardly at George's side not sure what to do but Molly embraced him as well with equal tenderness. Then she looked around. George could see the worry return to her eyes as she pierced him with stern but tearful eyes. He knew she suspected the answer but she still asked, her voice trembling; "Where is Fred? I haven't seen him. He wasn't with you when you arrived. He's not..?" Her eyes filled with tears as she suddenly saw the answer in George's face.

"A wall.." His throat clogged up again but this time Bellatrix was not the reason. "I tried, I tried.." His knees gave in and he sank to the floor, his eyes now overflowing with tears as reality suddenly hit him. Fred was truly and irreversibly gone. The Weasley family would never be whole again. From his mother came a sound, a scream in agony, grief and rage and it physically tore at George's insides to see his loving, protecting, unbelievably strong mother in such an uproar.

"No.. NO! Fred!" She flung herself at Arthur and buried her head in his jacket. Arthur's face was expressionless but down his cheek ran a steady stream of tears. Ginny and Percy sank to the floor along with George and together they sat for a moment. Bill had hurried over as soon as he had heard his mother's scream and now had his arm around his father. An echoing silence lay over the great hall after Molly's cry, as bodies were carried in and the wounded escorted to Madam Pomfrey.

Soon, Arthur, with a glance at Bill freed himself from his wife. "We have to.. Have to get him here." His voice was trembling. "Where is he?"

"Behind a statue, not far-" Percy begun but was silent as George had stood up. He looked at his mother who now stood alone, unsure of what to do now that Arthur had let her go. She looked so old, every ounce of spirit having disappeared in an instant. He could not bear it. Without a word he embraced her and she hugged him tightly.

"I'm sorry," He whispered, "I'm so, so sorry.." She pulled away from him reluctantly and met his eyes, speaking only to him in a warm voice;

"Don't worry. It's not your fault. It was never your fault. I'm sorry to have put you through all of this. If anyone should be blamed it's m-"

"..It's those death eaters, and Voldemort." His mother shuddered at the name but George continued, "We can't start blaming ourselves. It was an accident, a horrible, horrible..." George's voice died away again and he broke free from her gaze. "I'll come with you." he continued to Arthur who nodded appreciatively.

It was as though walking through one of those dreams where you know your goal but you simply cannot reach it. George seemed to have been walking for eternities before they reached the statue. The space behind it had remained untouched and Fred still lay where they had left him not half an hour ago. He could have been asleep if not for the fact that his chest did not move. Both Bill and Arthur gasped at the sight of Fred's broken body. It was fortunate that his clothes were practically intact for George would not have been able to face what he may look like underneath the shirt that now was completely red with coagulated blood.

He almost gave in a second time, wanted to tell his family off so that he could lie down next to his brother and stay there until the long years of his life had been utterly spent and he would be reunited once again with his best friend, his brother in arms, and soul and mind and consciousness. But he forced himself to stay upright and simply brushed Fred's now cold cheek with trembling hands. A moment passed in which no one spoke or moved before Arthur, wiping his swollen eyes, took the initiative to lift Fred by one shoulder and mentioned for Bill to take the other. Together, George holding up his brother's legs so that he in no way would be dragged away, they slowly paced back to the great hall.

"Oh merlin, not Fred." Lee Jordan, who carried a bunch of stretchers appeared almost immediately. He dropped the stretchers to the floor and at his best abilities helped the three to put Fred on one of them. George and Lee met each other's eyes. George tried to hold back another stream of tears as he hugged his best friend. "I'm so very sorry.." was the only thing Lee managed to say. George nodded and smiled faintly. Lee reluctantly went back to his duties when more wounded and dead began to appear but shot a final glance at Fred before doing so, and a single tear placed a streak on his grimy face.

The cry that erupted from Molly when they placed the body in line with Tonks and Lupins' was almost worse than the first one. She fell onto Fred's chest and began sobbing violently, speaking incomprehensible words both to herself and Fred. Arthur sat down next to her and lay one hand around her, while the other gently stroked Fred's pale arm.


	4. Chapter four: Forgotten Memories

**-Throwing another chapter out there just for the sake of it! R&R and enjoy (:-**

... ... ... ...  
For memories:

**Yiruma** (First Love (Yiruma piano collection))** - River flows in you  
****Ludovico Einaudi** - (Divenire) -** Oltremare**

**... ...  
**Rest:

**Howard Shore **(The Two Towers: The Complete Recordings)** - The Last March Of The Ents**

**Chapter 4: Facing Forgotten Memories**

George sat alone by his brother's head, his eyes closed and his mind nothing but chaos, fragmented pieces of memories flashing before his eyes.

"Forge," He mumbled and a chuckle which turned into a smile and a sob escaped his lips. That had been a long time ago, in a time when the world was a bright and happy place. In a world where Fred did not lie motionless and broken on the stone floor.

... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ...

_'No, Fred! Stop it!' Ron shouted, George doubled over with laughter at their little brother who was now covered in ferocious gnomes._

_'Very sorry, Ronnie boy!' Fred chuckled proudly, 'But I can't help if your huge head's in the way of my de-gnoming now can I?'_

_'MUUUMM!' Ron screamed in fear when the gnomes bit him. Now both Fred and George were rolling in the grass with laughter._

_... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ..._

_'All right, everyone.' Madam Hooch, the quiddich teacher bellowed to the students and the commotion died down, even though Fred and George discretely jinxed her broom when she looked away. 'Hold your right hand out and say; Up!' George did as he was told and to his delight the broom shot up into his outstretched hand. He looked at Fred and discovered to his annoyance that the same thing had happened to the twin. Fred grinned at him but George grumpily stuck his tongue out. Fred raised his eyebrows. _

_As soon as the teacher looked away again Fred flung himself onto the broom and zoomed it straight into his brother who yelped and toppled over. Then a smirk spread across George's face. He too mounted the broom and spurted off and they chased each other across the sky to everyone's delight but to Madam Hooch's great agony. 'Get back down here!' She shouted but the two did not hear her. They were all up in the exhilaration of for the first time flying real, proper broomsticks instead of the toy versions they had fiddled with at home._

"_I think she's mad at us!" grinned George and stopped in mid-air. His brother laughed,_

"_You know what, Georgie? I think you're right. Wouldn't it be horrible if a teacher disliked us? We should head back down." He blinked and at that moment dropped, diving towards the ground faster and faster. George was not far behind and together they soared straight towards Madam Hooch who cried out and moved out of the way. An inch before it was too late they levelled out and flew towards the crowd of cheering people. The pupils threw themselves out of the way, all but Angelina Johnson who stood put, looking unamused. Fred jeered and came to a halt two inches from her crossed arms. He laughed at her stern face and high-fived George as he passed._

_... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ..._

_'Well, at least I've got a date for the Yule Ball.' Fred turned his head away. George scowled at him;_

_'Yeah, the one you stole from me! You know very well I was going to ask her.'_

_'First come, first serve.' Now Fred was growing agitated as well. 'Just because I happened to come across her before you had the guts to ask her out doesn't mean you have the right to be mad at me. She's just a girl.'_

_'She's..- All right so maybe you're right. I just wished you hadn't, that's all.' George slumped on his bed. Fred was silent for a moment, then whispered,_

_'But you already know I'm way more handsome and witty and kind than you, so she'll be happier with me.' The pillow headed his way quicker than he could ever have imagined and hit him straight in the head. The next second George had lunged at him. Fred laughed as he struggled to break free from his brother. They were equal in strength and both ended up short of breath but George had clearly won and was sitting on the back of a wildly protesting Fred when the rest of their dorm mates entered. 'I let him win.' Fred stated grumpily. George rolled his eyes with a grin. _

_'Please. The only way you could ever beat anything with those moves it would be because it died from laughing at you.'_

_... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ..._

_**'NO!'** Their mother's shout rang through the entire burrow and the very walls seemed to tremble as she steamed on; 'You will NOT abandon your studies, your future just because of some idiotic idea of yours to start a... Whatever it was!'_

_ 'A joke shop!' Fred explained patiently._

_ 'It's a brilliant idea, mum, why can't you see that?' George continued, flailing his arms in an attempt to clear her view._

_ 'You can't say we're short of ideas, Ron could confirm that..' Fred's smile turned smug as a cry could be heard from the top floor._

_'And Percy as well, I'd say.' George stated when a second outcry echoed in the kitchen, this one coming from the room above them. A clatter of feet and Percy and Ron stood sulkily in front of them, eyes aflame as Percy held up a live snake who was writhing angrily in his hand and Ron held up a gnome who looked utterly pleased with himself, a piece of Ron's pajamas in its mouth._

_ 'Trick wands,'_

_ 'Seems to be working flawlessly.'_

_ 'De-gnoming Ronnie's bed,'_

_ 'Oh bugshots, I forgot that one!' They both cracked up in laughter and it wasn't until Molly cut them off that they – partly – put on serious faces, though they both peered smugly at each other._

_ 'And how exactly do you plan to finance this.. joke shop.. of yours? Because I'm telling you right now, you're not getting a single knut from this house!'_

_ 'But that's what we've been trying to tell you!' George pleaded in growing frustration,_

_ 'Harry won the tri-wizard tournament,'_

_ '..and asked us,'_

_ '.._begged _us to take the money._

_ 'We've got more than enough!'_

_ 'Oh,' Molly fumed, 'So now you're accepting charity? You can't just take someone's money! Even though he gives them to you it's not right! You have to return it.'_

_ 'We've tried that. He won't take it back. Says that we're better off with it.' Fred shrugged._

_ 'Besides, it's a loan!'_

_ 'Harry's an investor in our soon-to-be joke emporium!'_

_Molly opened her mouth, then closed it again. 'If this goes down the toilet I'm not going to be the one to clean it up.' She finished, clearly stating that the conversation was over and stalked off._

_ 'We know mum!' They both said in chorus._

_ 'Oh, my poor boys. I only wish they had grown up to be as successful as their brothers..' She complained, well aware of that she wasn't out of their hearing range._

_ 'We can hear you, you know.' Fred grunted._

_ 'Oh my poor boys.' Molly repeated and kept ranting as she went about her business although her voice now was drowned by the sound of dishes being washed._

... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ...

_You know you're more important to me than any girl, right? If you're not okay with it, I'll walk out on her and never look back, you know that.'_

_'Don't be ridiculous, Fred. You can shag any girl you want for all I care. As you said, she's just a girl.'_

_'I'm serious, George.'_

_'So am I.' George smiled, 'besides, if you're with Angelina, you can't say anything when we meet a horde of Veelas. Then they're all mine!' a mischievous look spread across his face._

_'Now Georgie don't be like that.' Fred pleaded, faking a sad face, 'You do know you have to share?' They laughed._

_... ... ..._

George found that he was smiling faintly while his tears fell onto Fred's face. He imagined that Fred too was reminiscing their old memories, wherever he was. He looked up and his smile disappeared instantly as reality smashed its heavy paws in his face. Ron was approaching, his face contorted with grief and rage. Ginny cried into Hermione's shoulder, her face buried in her friend's bushy hair. His mother still lay across Fred's chest. She looked almost as dead as Fred. She did not cry any longer but her eyes were filled with despair and she was shaking violently. Arthur still had his arm around her, stroking her back gently while tears ran down his face.

_We need you here, Fred,_ He leaned down and touched Fred's forehead with his own, _I can't do this, I can't face them without you here. Because every time they look at me, I know that they always will see you. And I know that every time I look at myself, so will I._ A hand was suddenly put on his back and he jolted upright, for an instant imagining that it was Fred and that he had returned to be with him but the face that gazed back at him was none other than Angelina Johnson's. Extremely disappointed he slumped back into passivity to try and bring back some more memories, then immediately felt bad and looked once again at her, managing a short smile. It had been a long time since she and Fred were together but they had separated as very good friends when they realized that neither was in love with the other and so had remained close ever since, and whoever was close to Fred was also close to George. She was very torn up, her eyes almost as swollen as Ginny's and across her cheek ran a nasty, deep cut but other than that, she seemed to be managing.

"How are you holding up?" She asked softly. George shrugged. "I'm really sorry for you. He was a great man, and a great friend." She coughed, not sure if she had said the right thing. To her it sounded very clique and fake, but George nodded appreciatively.

"Thanks," He said in a voice that barely carried. She smiled, then left him to tend to the dead and wounded around her. George watched her for a short second before looking down again. His stomach cringed again when his eyes ran over his brother's face. Reality could just not sink in, in his mind he was still planning a life in which Fred existed and he constantly had to remind himself that there was no Fred and every time it hurt just as bad. He was so tired he could fall asleep right then and there beside his brother and hopefully never wake up again. He felt another set of tears burning behind his eyelids and he did not fight them. Ron was by his side now, staring expressionlessly at Fred, his lips trembling but not crying. George put his arm around his brother and they sat once again in silence. Suddenly Ron spoke, his voice nothing but a whisper but loud enough for George to hear;

"I'd give anything for you two to transform my teddy into a giant spider again." He did not smile and neither did George for he knew that it was in no way a joke. George opened his mouth and was about to speak when suddenly the cold, high voice spoke again to him from everywhere and nowhere.

"_**Harry Potter is dead." **_Horrified gasps filled the air in the great hall. _**"He was killed as he ran away, trying to save himself while you lay down your life for him.**_" Immediately Neville's voice rang through the great hall;

"You lying rat! Harry would never do that! Don't listen to him!"

"_**We bring you his body as proof that your hero is gone."**_

Terrified mumbles spread like bonfire through the school, someone screamed in panic and everyone moved out to the main gate. George struggled to stand, wanting equally to protect Fred's body from every possible threat and to face his nemesises. He chose the latter, his wand burning in his hand from anticipation and his insides screaming for revenge. Fred Weasley would be avenged if it killed him in the process.

"Rookwood." A voice beside him stated. Lee Jordan walked at his side, a look of steel on his face, though George saw his eyes were as swollen as anyone's. "Rookwood killed Fred." A name. A spark lit inside Fred's already burning body and he repeated the name to himself;

"Rookwood." His voice was steadier than George thought it ever had been. "What's he look like?"

"Big fellow, greasy hair. Was in _The Daily Prophet_ as one of the break-outs. Looking bored, I think."

George did remember the front page of that very paper and thought he could make out one person among the jumble of deranged lunatics who roared at the cameras and tore at their restraints. If Rookwood was who Lee Jordan thought he was, he had looked different, As though this whole commotion was totally unnecessary and that he had the situation in control no matter what would happen. He was a psychopath and a dangerous one, if George was not mistaking with a lot of blood on his hands.

"Yeah." Was his short reply. "I remember."


	5. Chapter five: Rookwood will pay

**-Another chapter! Please rate and review, or throw books in my head for my crappy writing, if you feel like it. Might redo this chapter, I like the idea but I think it gets kind of messy around the edges... oh well!-**

**Chapter five: Facing Rookwood**

McGonagall's scream echoed through the courtyard and reverberated in the entire school as several others expressed their agony. Harry Potter was indeed dead. Molly joined in the outcry but her voice and legs failed her and she would have sunk to the floor if Arthur had not been there to hold her up.

George pushed his way through the crowd. Ron and Hermione stood embraced, both with tears gushing down their already soaked cheeks. Neville was alone facing Voldemort.

".. I'll join you when hell freezes over! Dumbledore's army!" The whole crowd cheered and George joined in, voicing his every ounce of grief, anger, determination and blood lust as he cried out along with the entire school. He was cut short, probably by a silencing charm, then he saw nothing until suddenly the Sorting Hat on Neville's head burst into flames. He roared furiously in protest which seemed to break the silencing spell and immediately the whole school joined in.

Then suddenly, an enormous noise filled the air. Animals, inhabitants of the forbidden forest and creatures from the castle came rushing from everywhere, taking the death eaters by surprise. Everywhere around George people, House-elves, Thestrals and Centaurs lunged themselves at the death eaters. "Rockwood!" bellowed George and he heard Lee shout the same name a few yards behind him.

Slowly the fight headed into the castle. George and Lee fought every death eater that crossed their path and George once again fought with the spark that Bellatrix first had lit in him but which now had magnified a hundred times. Every moment he searched for the man by the name of Rookwood but in vain. He was nowhere to be found.

Suddenly he stood there, his face twisted into a smirk as he fought off Kingsley. "Rookwood!" George shouted, fury rendering him blind as he raised his wand. Rookwood laughed.

"Weasley? Come to avenge your poor little Freddie? Cute." He slashed his wand downwards, forcing Kingsley to the ground. The spell held him put and now his whole attention was on George. Like a wolf he circled, waiting for the moment George would attack.

"Impedimenta!" Lee bellowed, to Rookwood's big surprise as he had not seen him in the shadows and mess of people. He was knocked back a few steps but soon regained footing and began duelling the two friends with incredible skill. Curses and counter curses jolted from the tips of their wands and they were equal in strength, although George could feel that he for some reason was holding back. Not once did he shoot killing curses at them and there was constantly a small smirk of amusement etched on his face as he send off spell upon spell.

George's wand (Or maybe George himself) was trembling with exhaustion as both he and Lee struggled to counter Rookwood's curses to their best abilities. He laughed; "Do you really think you can beat me? I will kill you as I killed your brother!" The spark lit in George's chest again but ran out as soon as it did. He was simply too exhausted, too tired to keep it alive and flaming and instead of throwing himself at Rookwood, he almost fainted from the pure strain of holding his wand upright.

"Imperio!" Rookwood shouted, wand directed at Lee who didn't have the slightest time to think or conjure anything resembling a protection before the spell hit him and his eyes went blank and completely dull.

"Lee!" George bellowed and in his mind flashed an image of Lee lying as pale and broken as Fred on the cold stone floor. Lee however did not fall. He stood put for a moment, then raised his wand once again. Only, this time it did not point at Rookwood but straight at George. "Lee, what the hell are you doi-"

"Petrificus totalus!" The spell missed by a whisker as George flung himself out of the way.

"Protego!" The protective shield appeared and separated the two like a transparent brick wall but when Lee mumbled a spell George had never heard off the shield shattered like glass and fell, faintly glowing to the floor. "You can't be fucking serious. Lee, get a grip of yourself!" Lee smirked faintly but there was no trace of that friendly I'm-gonna-prank-your-ass-and-you-won't-even-know-what-hit-you- look on him that so was Lee's signature expression. There was not anger, mischief, compassion, regret or madness in his eyes, there was simply nothing. A blank void where the young man's friendly core normally always shone through no matter how cruel or cold-hearted his pranks could appear. This was not Lee Jordan.

It did not take long for George to realize that Lee was indeed beyond his help. The being in front of him was none other than Augustus Rookwood no matter how similar to Lee he might look. There was no point in reasoning with him and the only thing George could do was to try not to hurt him while his opponent did his best to finish him off. Rookwood himself stood close-by, watching in amusement while a very effective shield charm surrounded him, giving him enough protection to warn him of oncoming attacks. The spells soared between the two combatants though nobody managed to get the upper hand. George was slightly more skilled than Lee when it came to duelling but he constantly had to remind himself not to hold back, that it was not Lee who stood before him. This was hard, because there was still something about him that was almost pitiful. His eyes were puffy and along his cheeks were still streaks from the tears he had shed, few because he always had been the stronger one, the protective and loyal friend who took none of his own feelings very seriously and spent his time comforting others instead. Perhaps this was why the image of him now, broken down to pieces of what used to be him, though still standing and fighting vigorously (even though he right now did not fight at his own accord), made George falter for an instant when his friend by mistake let his guard down. This was all that Lee, or Rookwood needed and he bellowed;

"Crucio!" George's eyes widened in shock before the spell hit him square in the face. Pain exploded through his body, transforming his blood into acid and turning every inch of his body inside out. He clawed at the air, trying desperately to hurt whoever or whatever was doing this to him but his fingers found nothing. Above him, just out of his reach towered Lee Jordan, a malicious smirk on his round lips. He was enjoying every second of George's agony. Or rather, Rookwood was. "Crucio!" He repeated, eyes that were not his burning with excitement and twisted pleasure. George screamed incomprehensible words as the pain, renewed and twice as torturous as the first blow shot through his body. "Crucio, crucio, crucioo!" It was almost a chant. Lee's wand twirled in the air as his grin grew wider. George was burning, pierced with hundreds of knives all over his body and there was nothing he could do about it. He could not voice any request for his lungs were filled with burning poison, he could not move for the ground was lava and rusty nails. He screamed, he screamed for Fred and Harry and Ron and mum and Lee and himself until there was no air left in his lungs. Lee paced closer, his face burning with disingenuous pleasure and desire for more.

"I will bleed you until you beg to be killed." He stated, his voice trembling with exhilaration, "But you won't escape that easily. The Lestrange's trick with the Longbottoms is nothing to what I will do to you."

"Lee..." George mumbled, his whole body shaking as the spell slowly wore off.

"Do not speak to me in that manner! Lee is dead, just like your brother. I'm not letting him go." Lee sneered. "Cru-"

"NOT MY DAUGHTER YOU BITCH!" The shout rang through the hall, distracting every fighter. Lee froze in mid-sentence as Rookwood's concentration faltered and they all looked for a moment at Molly who had taken on Bellatrix. George seized the moment of silence and, despite the echo of the curse that still sent shocks of pain through George he lunged himself at Rookwood. The man, taken aback by the sudden attack was pushed off balance and they tumbled, George on top to the stone floor. Rookwood yelled furiously and fought back. He was stronger than Fred had been – George's stomach cringed again – and his desperation and the previous perverted pleasure had given him strength beyond any George could have imagined. He roared and flung George with ease over on his back. A grin spread across his lips as he held George down. George growled furiously and spat Rookwood in the face.

"You little rascal," Rookwood hissed but the grin was still wide and a fire had lit in his eyes, "I should have you join your brother right now hadn't I been so kind and gentle. Am I not kind? Am I not merciful, to let you live?" Suddenly George saw something, someone right beyond Rookwood's left shoulder.

**-ooh cliffhanger! ;)-**


	6. Chapter six: The New Era

**-Yay another chapter! (:-**

Chapter six: The Beginning Of An Era No One Had Expected

He smiled softly, leaned upwards and whispered into Rookwood's ear; "I should have you slaughtered right here and now, had I not been so cruel. I'd rather see you rotting away in Azkaban than be relieved by death any day." At that moment, Kingsley raised his wand behind Rookwood and a flash of purple light shot out from his wand. Rookwood was rendered unconscious immediately and his whole weight fell on George. He groaned and pushed the man away. A few feet away, Lee blinked and looked surprised, then spotted George and a sudden realization seemed to hit him. His eyes widened as vague memories of what he had done seemed to return to him. Kingsley shouted;

"Watch it!" He shot another of the purple bolts at a death eater who fell to the floor. "The war isn't over yet. Get on your feet!" George's legs barely held him upright and he was positive he wouldn't last much longer when suddenly someone shouted;

"Potter! It's Potter! He's alive! I just saw him!" George looked around and there he was, standing not ten yards away -_How could I not have seen him?-_ staring intently at Voldemort. George gasped in relief. There was still some hope. A weak jet of energy surged through his body and he managed to raise his wand once again, in secret peering around in the room as a faint, desperate hope of Fred coming back as Harry had ignited inside him... But, of course there wasn't a trace. Of course, the boy who lived came back from the brink of death. It had always been like that. Harry stepped out of the way while others took the bullet for him. Quirrel, Ginny, Cedric, Sirius, Dumbledore. They had all died while he had survived. Or perhaps he had survived because they had died? Maybe they had died by his hand to protect himself? George's eyes pierced Harry, tried to look through his friendly exterior, tried to find some faint proof that his assumptions were true, that Harry had sacrificed Fred to save himself.

**"I don't want anyone else to try and help!**"

George snapped out of his thoughts. There was silence, nobody fought and George was the only one except for Voldemort and Harry with his wand still held upright. He was pointing it towards Harry. _No, what are you doing? What are you thinking? This is Harry, our investor, not some power-hungry maniac._ He realized that on his lips had been a spell, an unforgivable one at that. Shaking his head he tried to focus, his mind growing hazier and hazier. The words being spoken were blurry to him and made no sense. He must have swayed on the spot because suddenly there was an arm around his shoulders holding him steadily.

_Tired._

"Expelliarmus!"

_Fred?_

A piercing, blood chilling scream.

_Fred, please take me with you._

We won! We won! He's gone! You-know-who's gone!

_Fred, don't scream. You don't have to, I'm right here. I'm coming, I'm coming with you._

George blacked out.

_He saw him. He saw his twin brother staring right back at him, a grin on his healthy, unscathed face. He did not say anything, just looked at George with wonder and amusement in his blue eyes, the exact same colour as George's. They stood like this for a while, neither speaking, neither moving. Then it struck him; The person in front of him did not have a right ear. A gaping hole where his ear should have been was all that remained. His world collapsed, again and again as the mirror in front of him shattered into a million pieces. It had not been Fred. It had only looked like him. George looked like him. He would always look just like him._

"George? My George, tell me you're not dead! Please just open your eyes my dear son." Molly's pleading voice pierced his thoughts and he opened his eyes. They were all surrounding him, gazing worriedly down at him. George groaned and put both hands over his face and they sighed with relief. Molly hugged him tightly. "It'll be all right.." She mumbled softly and George wasn't sure if she said it to him or to herself. Either way, George flung his arms around her and sobbed like the little boy he had once been, the dream he had just had still edging along his consciousness. _Fred,_ he thought, _Fred I think it's over.. I think we won._ No reply came. He closed his eyes as yet another piece of his crumbling world was torn from him. No reply.

He walked by his brother's side when he and the others who had fallen in the great battle were carried out of The Great Hall. He did not cry, dared not express any feelings since he knew that this was the last time he'd see Fred before the funeral. The rest of the Weasleys walked huddled together behind him along with Hermione – who had an arm around Ron – and Harry – his hand in Ginny's – but George had deliberately secluded himself from them and everyone else. He needed to be left alone.

In the corner of his eye he saw someone walking beside him but he ignored whoever it was. He wanted to be alone with his thoughts.

"You know," Angelina Johnson said in a voice that was barely more than a whisper, "Well..." She struggled to find words and deep inside his mind George wished she would stop talking and disappear. He did not need anyone else telling him how sorry they were or how they figured they understood how he must be feeling, "I hope... I hope that you know that I'm here for you. I mean if you want to talk or something. I can't, I won't even begin to imagine what this must be like for you..." _Please, shut up_, "Losing a part of yourself..."_ How d'you think I'm feeling? Bloody brilliant is how._ "I- I just..."She was silent as she found no more words and they walked like this for a long while.

The dead were carried to the Entrance Gates to enable transferring them to the obituary at St Mungo's. Someone important felt the need to say a few words he found would be consoling and this was followed by three minutes of pressured silence broken only by a few heaving sobs from the crowd. George did still not cry. In him had settled a sort of numbness which he could not explain, in which he felt nothing.

When the silence came to an end, the bodies and their carriages along with several people belonging to the ministry and St Mungo's disapparated with a loud crack. He gave a deep sigh and immediately felt Angelina's concerned look stab him in the side. He looked at her once, turned away and left her without a second glance. Guilt pressed upon him as he walked away but he did not look back. Instead he went to the edge of the forest surrounding the path leading to the train. He sat down is the damp grass, staring foggily into the darkness.

He heard footsteps approaching but he did not look up. He hoped it wasn't Angelina, for however fond he was of her or how hard she tried she could never understand.

"I hope you'll ever be able to forgive me." It was Lee Jordan. He sat down and they both stared into the forest for a while before he spoke again; "I know I''ll never forgive myself."

"There's nothing to forgive." George said in a raspy voice, not meeting his eyes. In his mind the image of Lee, smirking malevolently in pleasure so twisted he shivered at the mere thought, was still vivid. Even though he knew that it had not been Lee, that he had acted blindly on Rookwood's command, it felt uncomfortable sitting there with a person who not an hour ago had tried to murder him.

"Don't be an idiot. It was pure luck that you didn't get severely hurt. I wouldn't have been able to live with myself had I tortured the wits out of you, or killed you." His voice was low and he leaned his chin against his prodded-up knees as he still did not look at George.

"You didn't do anything. Rookwood may have, but not you. I know you wouldn't."

"I'm still the one who has to live with the guilt." Lee stood up again, and put a hand on George's shoulder. "You've probably heard this more than enough, but if you'd ever need anything – be it a glass of poly-juice potion at two in the morning – send me an owl, or apparate into my kitchen if that'd suit you better." He smiled faintly. George looked at him and nodded with a short grin.

After a short while he returned to the rest of the Weasleys and returned home, if that was what one still could call it now that the family – the most important thing – had been rent apart.


End file.
